Improving examination standards in China

Guangzhou examination board enlists DRS distributor, Morning Star Technology Co; Ltd, to increase efficiency in its examination marking.

Based in the South East of the Peoples Republic of China, DRS distributor, Morning Star provides distribution of world leading DRS scanning technology to the Chinese examinations and assessment markets.

Morning Star provides high speed PS900 DRS scanners and accompanying specially designed software for examination boards and provincial examination bodies across China for the electronic processing of examination answer sheets, university entrance and student registration forms, and for general education use. DRS also provides comprehensive training and support to Morning Star's technical staff relating to the scanners.

Impressed with their reputation in the Chinese examinations market, Guangzhou examination board contacted Morning Star, looking to improve their current practices.

Established in 1986, this board takes charge of all educational examination and admissions within the Southern Chinese city of Guangzhou. With an average of 120,000 students taking entrance  xaminations each year alone, the Guangzhou examination board was concerned about the considerable time and resource used to process its examination scripts.

The solution

Working closely with the Guangzhou examination board, Morning Star developed a bespoke solution to increase the efficiency of their examination marking process.

The Morning Star 'iMarking' System provides the customer with a complete electronic marking solution, including adding to and integrating the customers existing computer and network infrastructure along with DRS specialist imaging and data capture technology to electronically capture item level responses and marks from images of examination scripts.

“In practice the solution not only increased efficiency of the Guangzhou examination board's marking process but also improved the accuracy and reliability of the marking cycle as a whole. As a result the Guangzhou examination board is looking forward to using Morning Star software and DRS technology again in the future.”  Mr Hu, Managing Director, Morning Star

Using a dedicated marking facility, 2,000 examiners were then able to mark questions or part-questions on-screen at marking centres, almost instantaneously after logging on to the system - not only speeding up the rate of marking, but also providing invaluable information on how each examiner marks each individual question.

Great results

Managing Director of Morning Star, Mr Hu reveals that “in practice the solution not only increased efficiency of the Guangzhou examination board's marking process but also improved the accuracy and reliability of the marking cycle as a whole. As a result the Guangzhou examination board is looking forward to using Morning Star software and DRS technology again in the future.”

Further information

Morning Star examination solutions have been implemented in over 20 examination boards within mainland China and Hong Kong and is setting the standard for electronic marking in the Chinese education marketplace.

A conference arranged by Morning Star in the City of Zhaoqing saw delegates attend from over 40 Chinese examination boards.

DRS supported Morning Star by demonstrating the features and benefits of its PS900 scanning technology, designed to electronically capture item level responses and marks from images of examination scripts.